Several inches of fine snow fell throughout the day Thursday in the Tuscarawas Valley, but the region escaped the blizzard conditions forecast for the East Coast.

Although winter is officially less than 2 weeks old, Ohio Department of Transportation District 11 crews already have used almost 4,300 tons of salt in Tuscarawas County. On average, ODOT uses about 5,000 tons of salt per year locally, according to Fred Wenger, administrator for Tuscarawas County with ODOT.

Already this winter, the department's trucks have logged about 63,000 miles in the county, which Wenger said is way above average. "The guys are really working a lot of overtime," he said.

ODOT had 16 trucks out in Tuscarawas County on Thursday. One of them was involved in an accident in the morning at the southbound ramp of I-77 at state Route 39 in Dover. Wenger said a tractor-trailer rig ran into a snowplow at the bottom of the ramp. No one was injured.

"There was just a little damage to the snowplow, but heavy damage to the truck," he said.

State troopers at the New Philadelphia post of the Ohio Highway Patrol said about 16 crashes had been reported from about 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Temperatures were predicted to drop into the single digits Thursday night, and the National Weather Service issued a wind chill advisory for the area, which remains in effect until noon Friday.

"We're hoping to get the roads cleaned up before the temperatures plummet," Wenger said.

The snow Thursday canceled sporting events throughout the area and prompted officials at East Holmes Local Schools in Berlin, Garaway Local Schools in Sugarcreek and Buckeye Career Center in New Philadelphia to close schools two hours early. Dover City Schools and Buckeye Career Center have called off classes Friday.

The High School Engineering Competition Training for Video Game A at Kent State University at Tuscarawas in New Philadelphia scheduled for Friday and Saturday has been postponed. It is rescheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 8 and 9.

Earlier in the day Thursday, the steady snowfall frustrated efforts by area road crews to keep roads clear.

"At this point, we're not accomplishing much," Tuscarawas County Engineer Joe Bachman said around 1 p.m. County crews started out at about 7:30 a.m. They will head out at 4 a.m. Friday.

The City of New Philadelphia had five trucks out at 7:30 a.m., treating hills, bridges and primary streets, according to Service Director Jim Zucal. The city uses between 75 and 100 tons of salt in a typical storm.

New Philadelphia police received reports of about six snow-related traffic crashes throughout the day, but no serious injuries.

A New Philadelphia officer was sent to the 200 block of Fifth Street NE at 1:21 p.m. where a car was reportedly parked on the wrong side of the street, preventing a snow plow from getting through. The officer said he knocked on the door, and when the person inside opened the door and saw it was police, they "slammed the door shut." A parking ticket was issued.

Page 2 of 2 - Police in Dover called out city street department crews at about 8 a.m. when streets were reported becoming slippery. Two traffic crashes had been reported by Thursday afternoon.

Dover Service Director David Douglas said crews continued plowing snow and salting streets throughout the day.

Uhrichsville had three trucks out, plowing and salting streets all day, said Mayor Terry Culbertson. "We're having a tough time keeping up," he said at the peak of the snowfall.

He estimated the city had between 2 and 3 inches of snow on the ground.

Workers were trying to get the streets plowed before temperatures dropped.

"That's what concerns all of us," Culbertson said. "After it gets so cold, salt doesn't do too much. That's why they're working today."